No problem asking questions -- much better to ask than just lurk hoping someone else mentions what you are curious about.

I think wearing brightly colored clothing, or at least clothing that contrasts with your expected environment is a good idea. As stylish as some of these grey and black outfits can be, I'd rather be seen as a dork, then be overlooked while looking cool. The key to standing out really isn't any particular color, it's being different than your surroundings. Out here in the southwest, everything is brown and tan for much of the summer. At mid-day, a black outfit would actually stand out pretty well, probably just as well as white. If you're going to be riding in a forest with lots of green, I wouldn't wear green, even if it's a bright day-glo green. Bright orange and bright blue both work well, as you don't get much orange, or really any blue in nature.

I don't think wearing bright colors will save my life, but I do think it makes me more visible, and that extra bit of time or notice may make all the difference in the world. My real concern is for texting / and or drunk drivers. I don't think there is anything that would have a realistic effect on either of those two groups.

Rear blinky lights are a whole different can of worms. There isn't any doubt that they are visible for a long way off (miles in some cases). The debate is whether or not they act as kind of a beacon for drunks to home in on, mistaking them for taillights to be followed. I personally use one when I'm riding, but I've heard enough arguments for the "target fixation" theory that I would consider them to be a mixed bag safety wise. In daylight, they're probably a great idea, even into early evening. I would be hesitant to use them later at night as the percentage of drunks on the road increases. This, among other reasons are why I don't ride at night. If you look at the statistics, way too many bike fatalities happen at night, and if you correct for the fact that there are way fewer cyclists at night, the risks shoot way up.